GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas swept seven out of 10 councils in the Gaza
Strip´s first local elections, seen as a test of strength between the
Islamic militant group and new President Mahmoud Abbas, final results
showed on Friday.

The Islamists, sworn to Israel´s destruction, had boycotted the Jan.
9 presidential election, won by Abbas on a platform of ending
violence to allow talks with the Jewish state on Palestinian
statehood.

"Hamas´s victory proves Islam is the solution," blared a slogan from
loudspeakers as thousands of supporters celebrated in the streets
beneath fluttering green Hamas flags.

A U.S. White House official said Washington was concerned Hamas could
use their elected posts to influence Abbas´s policy toward
peacemaking with Israel.

Abbas has been trying to win a cease-fire from Hamas and other
militants spearheading a 4-year-old revolt to allow the resumption of
talks with Israel and to avoid chaos in Gaza ahead of an Israeli plan
to abandon the occupied territory.

"Our people have a consensus on the choice of jihad and resistance
and the election has underscored that concept," Hamas spokesman Muhir
al-Masri told reporters.

Hamas candidates won 75 of the 118 council seats compared to 39 for
members of Abbas´s Fatah movement and their allies, final figures
from the electoral commission showed.

Voter turnout topped 80 percent -- much higher than at the
presidential election for a successor to Yasser Arafat.

But while the results were a blow to Fatah, they also raise the
prospect that Hamas will join parliamentary elections in July and
thereby shift closer to the political mainstream.

"The results showed that our people are insisting Hamas take part in
the upcoming ballot," said spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.

U.S. CONCERNS

A senior State Department official said only Abbas´s government
policies mattered and Hamas members were "not people we need to deal
with, or have to deal with."

But another Bush administration official said the results were a
worry.

"It´s always a concern and disturbing that people affiliated with a
group espousing violence achieves some success," said the official
who asked not to be named. "It is now an open question how much
impact these individuals will have on the general political scene."

Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, has
won many hearts in Gaza not only for its role in the fighting but
also for its charity work for the needy in the absence of welfare
support from the crumbling Palestinian Authority.

Political analysts say that by taking part in the municipal
elections, Hamas is also demonstrating its claim to a share of power
ahead of Israel´s planned withdrawal of Jewish settlers from Gaza.

Palestinian analyst Hani Habib said Hamas´s show of power could make
the group more eager to join Abbas´s political agenda, including a
militant truce with Israel, in order to try to boost its political
status among the Palestinians.

"Hamas´s landslide victory will encourage it more because now it
feels stronger and it will (be encouraged) to make difficult
decisions while it is strong," he said. "Hamas will be involved in
(Abbas´s) plan from a position of strength."